Fans Debating If NFL Should Retire Tom Brady’s Number originally appeared on The Spun.
When most NFL fans think of the No. 12 they think of the GOAT Tom Brady. But should the number be retired league-wide?
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While the seven-time Super Bowl champ might be the most synonymous with the iconic jersey number at this point, quarterbacks like Terry Bradshaw, Aaron Rodgers, Jim Kelly, Roger Staubach, Joe Namath, Ken Stabler and Randall Cunningham also helped make the No. 12 famous.
That question was posed by DraftKings Sportsbook over the weekend and here’s a look at what fans thought:
“Nope 🫡” LASIK.com replied.
“Delete your account,” a user said.
“Brady is clearly the best player to ever play the game….but this is silly,” a fan commented.
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“Absolutely not,” another person posted. “The Patriots should but any other team doing it would be weak.”
“What a stupid idea,” a fan exclaimed. “You can’t retire a number league-wide just because somebody was really good. Why don’t we just retire hoodies with the sleeves cut off while we’re at it? You know, you don’t HAVE to hit ‘Post.'”
“That’s ridiculous,” Chris Andrews pointed out.
“Abso-f—ing-lutely not.”
“I get the sentiment but this is a) not like a Jackie Robinson type situation and b) there’s simply too many players on a football team/field especially when you take into account how many retired numbers some teams have to do this,” a Bucs fan shared. “So no, no they shouldn’t.”
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“If you were a person, I’d smack you draft kings 🤣”
ATLANTA, GA – FEBRUARY 03: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots throws a pass against the Los Angeles Rams in the second half during Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 3, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
It’s hard to imagine the NFL would ever actually do this but Brady’s number will almost assuredly be retired in both New England and Tampa when it’s all said and done.
Right now the only league-wide jersey retirements are Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 in Major League Baseball, Bill Russell’s No. 6 in the NBA and Wayne Gretzky’s No. 99 in the NHL.
Although some people believe Michael Jordan’s No. 23 should also be added that list given his unrivaled impact on the game of basketball.
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Fans Debating If NFL Should Retire Tom Brady’s Number first appeared on The Spun on Aug 3, 2025
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Aug 3, 2025, where it first appeared.